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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29520978">His Lullaby</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AWritingNerd/pseuds/AWritingNerd'>AWritingNerd</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Hades Fics [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hades (Video Game 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 16:54:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,438</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29520978</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AWritingNerd/pseuds/AWritingNerd</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rosalios loves her mom, her brother Thanatos, and her friends, but more than anyone else, she loves Hypnos, the best brother in her world. Everything good from her goes to Hypnos, and in her opinion, everything good should always go to Hypnos, something her mother and Thanatos just didn't seem to understand.<br/>----<br/>Alternatively: Hypnos gets the love, respect, and acknowledgement he deserves from a presence too adorable to ignore.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hypnos &amp; Nyx (Hades Video Game), Hypnos &amp; Thanatos (Hades Video Game), Hypnos &amp; Zagreus (Hades Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Hades Fics [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2168565</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>56</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>His Lullaby</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Well, I guess my writing inspiration got a hit today. I'm very proud of this, and I hope you guys like it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rosalios loved her mother, the woman with gentle smiles and soothing tones, who tucked her into bed and told her stories of all the people in the House of Hades, and how one day, she would join their ranks and have a job of her own. Nyx would tell her of the stars, of the darkness that made its home in the night, and she could listen to her whispers all day. Nyx was the one who had told her that she was the incarnation of shadows just as her siblings were of sleep and death. </p><p>Rosalios also loved her brother, the man who kept to himself and his job, but could spare a moment to tell her of mortals and their fickleness, but would reluctantly tell her of all they had created too. Thanatos would look after her on the rare occasions that her mom could not, and during that time, she was able to really stop and speak with others in the House. She loved seeing them, but her mom was normally insistent that she be on her way for her next lesson, and that Hades would not enjoy having a baby around. Thanatos let her see them, but even he knew that the Lord of the Dead was as temperamental as the mortals above, and he made sure she knew it too.</p><p>Rosalios loved her friends too, of course. She loved seeing Zagreus in his spare moments before his next run, loved seeing Persephone and talking about the surface, and enjoyed spending time just hovering next to Hades’ desk, watching the procession of Shades with interest. She reveled in her conversations with Achilles, muddled through attempts at anything around Megaera, and found herself drawn to the ever-shy Dusa, and the bashful cook. </p><p>But, despite all of them, the one Rosalios loved the most was her other brother, Hypnos. Where Nyx distanced herself in an attempt to help Rosalios mature, Hypnos wasn’t afraid to give her the affection she desperately craved. Where Thanatos was withdrawn and often ignored her attempts of affection, Hypnos was all too happy to talk with her endlessly, indulging in her hair ruffling and hand-holding. Where her friends didn’t seem to understand her as anything more than another child of Nyx, Hypnos looked further, seeing her for her more than her role in their family, and in the lives of those in the House. He was the best brother, and he assured her that she was the best sister too. </p><p>She would always love her brother more than anyone else. The best behavior and attention was saved for her brother, who told her stories more interesting than her mom’s, because he actually paid attention to the small things, and had access to a wealth of dreams to tell of. The best drawings went to Hypnos, who received them with joy and hung them on the wall behind him, something Thanatos told him was unprofessional, but had no control over. </p><p>Her brother was the best brother in the whole wide world! </p><p>Why didn’t they appreciate him more? <br/>----<br/>The House did not overlook its youngest member, or her love for her brother. The residents of the house found themselves surprised by each show of affection, by each preferential treatment, by all the little things. Nyx had been slightly offended when Rosalios ditched her lessons in favor of another of Hypnos’ nonsensical stories. Thanatos had been jealous when the drawing Rosalios had been working so lovingly on was given to his brother instead of him. Some of the other residents of the house noticed that Hypnos always put down his work for his little sister, and vice-versa, and that the two were rarely seen without each other, both of them there to greet Zagreus after another death. </p><p>When Rosalios was upset after a long day of grueling lessons, or being chided by her mother, the House knew to bring her to Hypnos, who would calmly dry her tears and tell her yet another funny story, regaling his tales of fantastical and impossible things until he was rewarded with her laughter. </p><p>When Rosalios was especially stubborn, talking back and misbehaving, the House knew to bring her to Hypnos, who would gently tap her nose and ask her why she was so ‘scrunched up’, a question that normally led to Rosalios rambling about the root problem to her brother, where it was subsequently solved by a listener nearby. </p><p>When Rosalios couldn’t fall asleep, her brain too tied up with the occurrences of her day, the House knew to bring her to Hypnos, who would settle her on the lounge couch Zagreus had gifted him, tucking her in and singing soft lullabies to her until her eyes closed, and she slipped off into her brother’s realm, blessed with good dreams. </p><p>And each time Rosalios went to her brother, it seemed the House learned more and more about Hypnos himself. As he told his stories, they learned that he watched and observed more than they had expected of one who slept so much. As he accepted Rosalios’ drawings, they learned that while he didn’t display all of them, he kept them in a folder that existed in what seemed to be the bottomless pockets of his blanket cape. As he calmed her down from her wails, they learned that Hypnos could be quiet, near silent, and that he was capable of listening to others and sympathizing. When he quickly solved Rosalios’ problems so she’d be less upset, they learned of his cunning, for he always shared conspiratorial glances with those he knew were listening, usually paired with raised eyebrows. And finally, when he put his little sister into a deep, healing sleep, the House learned that Hypnos’ voice easily rivaled Orpheus and Eurydice in its beauty, proved when even the musician stopped to listen with wide eyes and a small smile. </p><p>And when they listened to it, they wondered how they hadn’t noticed these things before. How had it taken them so long to realize how observant and caring Hypnos could be? How much of himself he would give to Rosalios if he had the chance was proof of his ability to be loyal, and to be loving, and for once Nyx had nothing cold to say, and Thanatos could not insult him, and Hades could not bring himself to tell Hypnos that he was replaceable, for he knew that in the eyes of Rosalios, her brother was far from something you could replace. </p><p>The House didn’t want a replacement anyway. <br/>----<br/>“You continue to doze during your work, and you are turning it in abysmally. I would request that you dedicate more of your time to serving Lord Hades, and less of it to sleeping, Hypnos,” her tone was unyielding, cold and stern, and the House could see the Hypnos shrinked in the face of it, though his smile remained, weak as it was. </p><p>Nyx waved him off before he could reply, turning her back on her child to retake her position next to Zagreus’ bedchambers. Hypnos didn’t seem capable of speaking anyhow, his mouth pursed in thought, eyes glazed. The House did not miss Rosalios’ expression of confusion, and hoped the girl would help shed light on this newest situation. </p><p>The next time the subject came up, Thanatos was the one confronting Hypnos, voice filled with accusation, just as cold as his mother’s. “You are not irreplaceable,” Thanatos commented, and oh, Dusa flinched at that, sympathetic. “You need to dedicate more of your lazing around time to making yourself useful. Next time I see you, you better be awake.” </p><p>He disappeared into a cloud of smoke, leaving Hypnos coughing for a moment, but the House residents preferred him coughing to the expression he had now, lips trembling as tears welled up in his eyes. He swallowed, the gulp visible in his throat, and he tried to keep up his joyful facade as he greeted the Shades who came by, but the residents could tell that he was nowhere near as happy as he appeared, evidenced even more by the stray tears running down his face as he spoke, and the twitch of his mouth into a downturned edge whenever he thought nobody was looking. </p><p>When he was next scolded, it was by both his mother and his brother, and even Hades was looking up in concern, eyes narrowed with it. The House was gathered around the edges of the main hall, all watching with worry as Hypnos’ face became more and more...dead. His eyes lost their spark, his expression lost its smile, and his body slumped in on itself under his family’s disapproval. By the time Rosalios arrived, Hypnos was letting out silent sobs, tears dripping down to land on the floor, not that either of his relatives noticed.</p><p>“Stop!!” </p><p>The sudden exclamation had its intended purpose, as both Nyx and Thanatos paused in their ranting to turn their shocked eyes to Rosalios, whose little face was twisted in rage. Hypnos himself shook his head, discouraging her, but when her gaze turned to him, nobody could ignore the way her anger softened as she shook her head, eyes betraying her stubbornness. Hypnos gave a sigh, but nodded, and with the silent exchange done, she turned back to her mother and brother. </p><p>“Hypnos works harder than both of you! You-!” she gestured to her mom. “Just stand around most of the time, controlling the night, and doing whatever duties you have. You-!” her brother this time. “Do your little trips to deal with whatever new death crisis comes up, but Hypnos? He does three jobs at once! He’s three times the god either of you will ever be!” </p><p>Nyx and Thanatos both looked taken aback, but Rosalios wasn’t done. “Hades has him greeting all the Shades, cataloguing their deaths, guiding them around the Underworld, helping them settle in! Then he has to take care of me when you two are ‘too busy’ doing whatever you do when you don’t have time for us! And then Hypnos has to deal with being sleepy, because whether you know it or not, he has to sleep to visit the mortals to get them to go to bed, and to help them dream!” </p><p>The House hadn’t known that tidbit of info, but now it made sense. Hypnos slept so much because he was constantly moving his essence out of the Underworld in order to help the mortals, and with that realization came a certain feeling of guilt. Each time they chided him for disregarding his duties, they had been showing him, indirectly, that they had no idea what he did, and how much he worked and suffered. </p><p>“And on top of all the jobs you’ve piled on, you don’t even care for him! Mom, you don’t even talk to him if it isn’t to encourage him to work more! Than, you do the same thing, and you tell him that he’s replaceable like you don’t even care about him! I’m not surprised Hypnos cares so much about me, because I seem to be the only one in this family who cares about him!!”</p><p>By now, Rosalios was screaming, and those who hadn’t been listening to the conversation had no choice now. Hades, ever one to complain, remained silent as he watched over their altercation. Cerberus had tilted all three heads up, mouths gaping open in his own show of surprise. Meg was looking at Rosalios was barely concealed pride, and it was obvious that the Fury had been the one to teach the girl how to yell. </p><p>Finally, Rosalios- red-cheeked but apparently satisfied with her relative’s reactions- leapt into Hypnos’ arms, burying her face into his neck. “Can you tuck me in tonight? I’m really tired and I want you to take some time to sleep with me. If I leave you now, you won’t.” her words were whispered, but they were heard by her family, who- excluding Hypnos- were steadily filling with more guilt. Hypnos himself gave a solemn look towards Hades, and noticing this, Rosalios turned her head, giving Hades a glare worthy of one who had delivered death to a god before, even though this girl could not have done so. Hades gave a serious nod, and with a look of approval beyond her years, she turned back to Hypnos. “I think Lord Hades just gave you some time off. Come on. I want to be in my room before my eyes start aching even more.” </p><p>Hypnos gave into her demands, gliding to her bedroom, shutting the door behind them. Silence overtook the House, uncomfortable and strained, but with that day came the realization that change needed to happen, and it needed to happen soon. <br/>----<br/>When Zagreus next went out on an adventure, he found himself saddled with a particularly enthusiastic Rosalios, who took solace in the shadows around him as he moved from room to room. She waited until he ran into Charon to finally reappear, moving towards her brother with coin in hand. “Hi, Charon! I’ve got some money, if you’ll let me have some Ambrosia!” </p><p>Charon grumbled affectionately, ruffling Rosalios’ hair, and exchanging her gold for Ambrosia, as she had requested. She gave a little giggle, merging back into the shadows, and Zagreus found himself smiling, knowing who the recipient of the drink would be. As he continued to move through the chambers, he gathered more and more gems, and when he gave them to her, she thanked him every time. Though Charon was not offering anymore Ambrosia in the shops before Zagreus’ death point to the Hydra, Rosalios still got to venture into the lounge and exchange the gems for keys, and after, the keys for more Ambrosia. </p><p>Each bottle found itself in Hypnos’ possession after all was said and done. </p><p>Many took comfort in the return of the man’s smile. </p><p>The sadness that had hovered over him had faded somewhat, and his demeanor changed for the better, opening up even more. His stories were of his own experiences. He began drawing with Rosalios, the gift of drawings becoming an exchange. His eyes were softer as he listened, his remarks kinder after each of Zagreus’ deaths, and each of Rosalios’ tempers. His lullabies not only returned, but became louder, and the entire House stopped to listen as he sang. Once, he even sung ‘Good Riddance’, driving everyone, including Orpheus, to tears- the god of the dead himself just barely holding his own in. </p><p>The House of Hades learned to appreciate Hypnos a lot more. </p><p>And like a burden was lifted, Rosalios’ smiles became even brighter.</p>
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